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Citing the need to put the All Progressives Congress on a strong footing to campaign in next year’s General Elections in the Niger Delta region, the Edafe Onokpite Foundation has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the substantive board members led by Chief Bernard Okumagba for the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, especially too, as it had been screened and confirmed by the National Assembly.

This call, which was made by the founder, Comrade Edafe Onokpite, while speaking with newsmen in Ugolo community in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, said the failure of Mr President to inaugurate the NDDC board since would make the party campaign a little bit difficult in the Niger Delta Region

According to Onokpite, who also doubles as the youth leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, “because the NDDC board was not in place, whose core mandate is the development of the region, nothing has been achieved under the leadership of Sole Administrators who have been at the helm of affairs of the commission because there is little they can do since they have no legal authority to perform, unlike a  legally-constituted Board.

The Niger Delta Activist, expressed sadness over the way and manner activities of the Commission was administered by Buhari Government which used Sole Administrators and Interim Committee Chairmen these past seven (7) years, which run contrary to the Act Establishing the commission.

He maintained, “What is more worrisome is that the 2023 General Elections is fast approaching and the APC is going to find it very difficult in its campaign to convince the people of Niger Delta Region.”

“I have been patient for a very long time thinking that President Buhari will in the interest of the people of Niger Delta Region constitute the Chief Bernard Okumagba led NDDC board, which was duly screened  and confirmed by the National Assembly. Sadly, up till now it has been one ad hoc arrangement or the other, which is against the Act Establishing the Commission!

Said Onokpite, “We are approaching another election next year; what are we going to tell our people in the Niger Delta Region? That NDDC could not perform because there is no substantive board? It is not too late, Mr President can still do it before the elections in order for us to be able to have things to campaign with! As we speak, a lot persons are angry and disappointed that Mr President is yet to inaugurate NDDC board most especially the one led by Chief Bernard Okumagba, which was duly screened and confirmed by the National Assembly.”